Paradigm Pro: UWFI Contenders Series Episode 4

ER: Paradigm put on a better show last week than AEW did, so we're dedicating the Wednesday night slot to Paradigm this week. Better show gets written up fresh the next week. 

YOYA vs. Don't Die Miles

ER: I liked the standing portions of this a lot more than the grounded portions. I especially liked how we started, with Morales getting a quick German and then a nice flying knee. Later he snuck in this cool hooking kick to YOYA's chin that I think should have at least gotten a knockdown. They have a lot of points to work with in these matches and they hardly ever get used, instead moving right on from the best looking strike in the match. But I thought a lot of the ground work looked bad, especially the striking. YOYA had mount and was throwing little slaps off Miles' arms, and half of them weren't even making contact with the arms. I thought Miles fighting for a fireman's carry looked good, but stuff like that kept taking a backseat to unconvincing YOYA takedowns or a standing slap sequence that went too long. I liked the finish, with YOYA hitting a Saito suplex and holding on to slip on an armbar, but for a guy supposed to be working an "in over his head" angle, I thought Miles showed far more poise. 

PAS: I liked how frantic everything was, this approximated one of those insane WEC Banatamweight fights with tiny guys just going after everything a million miles an hour. Really liked the open 20 seconds with the Miles suplex and big knee, and Yoya is so small that even a small guy like Miles can throw him in interesting ways. I thought some of the stand up exchanges were really bad, you can do fast hands stuff and have it look effective even if it isn't stiff, but this looked like two guys swatting flies. Finish was cool, and I would be into a little dudes shoot division, but I am not sure overall this entirely worked.

Tommy Kyle Dean vs. Janai Kai

PAS: Both wrestlers have Tae Kwon Doe black belts, but unfortunately this felt more like half speed dojo sparring then a competitive wrestling match. Felt like they were practicing rather than fighting and the KO shot either missed entirely or was the victim of a bad camera angle. 

ER: Yeah this really didn't feel like an actual match. This felt like two people playing a fighting game only neither person knows the button combos so 80% of the fight is high right kicks. Occasionally you get lucky while button mashing and come out with something cool (like Dean's leg scissor takedown and Kai's heel axe kicks to break the follow up kneebar), but the kicks all looked like two people practicing distance rather than trying to hit each other. The fast front spin kick by Kai into the KO hook kick by Dean had great form, but agree that it either missed by a foot or made totally silent connection. Either way, it fell flat as a finish, but it only makes sense to miss the finish kick since none of the other kicks seemed to land. 

Robert Marytr vs. Jeffery John

PAS: The start of this match didn't do a ton for me, felt a little formless and the shots weren't doing much. Then John hits a gross sounding headbutt, which Martyr sells like a MMA fighter who is dropped, including trying to take down the referee. Martyr is able to get his bearings, grab kind of a half choke and takedown, and land some sick Pride stomps to the back of the head for a KO. Great finish run will go a long way, and love Martyr as a guy with fun realistic knock out selling. 

ER: This was fun, thought it picked up early with a great Martyr knee, and that headbutt that downed Martyr was a great moment. I loved Martyr's selling, fully bought into it, thought he looked legitimately loopy and I love a well used/well done ref takedown spot. The stand up didn't always look great but I liked how both guys were using head movement and it lead to some interesting stuff. The finish was real sick, with Martyr fighting through the cobwebs and getting a real mean choke, looked like the kind of thing a big brother locks in way too hard after he catches his annoying little brother in his room, and the stomps to the head for the stoppage looked sick. 

3. Hoodfoot vs. Isaiah Broner

PAS: Tremendous atmosphere, really felt like a West Oakland fist fight between two of the baddest guys in Fruitvale. Loved all of the pissed off shit talking and mean mugging. There are basically three moments in this match, they come together throwing, and Broner grabs Hoodfoot and throws him down. They get back up again exchanging and Broner drops him with a sick short hook. They go at it again and Hoodfoot hits a fast Saito and two big swinging forearms to the head for a KO. I loved all three moments, I kind of wanted one or two more - this was maybe 2 minutes long - and it could have been a killer 3 and half minutes. I wanted Broner to get to his feet after the Hoodfoot KO, even if only to get dropped again. Still I adore Hoodfoot as a guy with one punch KO power, and he really brings something special. And I'm really into Broner too, just a pair of badass looking tough guys. I would totally be into running this back again. 

ER: This really did have a great feel to it. A lot of these matches have been fun, but they can feel a little faceless. This felt like two big personalities having a big showdown, and most importantly: These were two guys I *wanted* to see fight. Any fight has the potential to be a good fight, but I love a fight where I just want to already SEE the guys fight. Hoodfoot has become a fast favorite of mine, and Broner has a great look, great vibe. Last week we had one of my favorite sub 3 minute matches, and now we have one of the great sub 2 minute matches. This is the kind of stand and trade I can get behind, as they just start swinging arms and seemed fine to keep that up until either of their Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot heads popped off. I bought into Broner getting the potential upset, and loved how the had him drop Hoodfoot first, loved that advancing short hook he cracked him with. Hoodfoot's Saito suplex is really great, like the fast kind of backdrop drivers that Kobashi used to take right on his head, and I love how he wasn't messing around and got right to throwing those forearms. I wish we got twice as much as we did, and I don't think it honestly would have taken a ton more for me to want to add this to our MOTY List. Run this back, let 'em go 5 minutes, then let 'em take over the indies. 

2021 MOTY MASTER LIST

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Paradigm Pro: UWFI Rules Contenders Series Episode 2

Matthew Justice vs. Robert Martyr

PAS: This had some moments, Justice had a big size advantage and used it to chuck Martyr around, with Marter using speed and technique to get some shots off. Martyr hit a couple of pretty implausible german suplexes, for shoot style suplexes to work you have to buy the guy really muscling his opponent up and this wasn't that. Finish was awesome though, with Justice taking him down and landing a brutal knee right to Martyr's temple which Martyr sold by jerking his arm's straight in the air with cool concussion selling. Or, he got brutally concussed, and the fact I wasn't totally sure either way really made the move. Justice then calls out Chuck Lidell which goes with his UFC legend battling. Not sure they can get Chuck, but Phil Baroni and Ken Shamrock are taking bookings.

ER: I really liked this. I wanted to hate Martyr on sight with his angsty teen scowl face Green Day entrance, but Justice kicked his ass bad enough that it babyfaced him. Justice has the kind of charisma that connects with wrestling crowds, and I liked that he used his significant size advantage to integrate several pro wrestling moves that otherwise wouldn't be in UWFI rules. I don't always like that, but this felt more like a big brother doing every wrestling finisher to his younger brother, and he's big enough that the younger brother can't stop him. Justice is good at that. And Martyr does a good job at slipping out of a couple of the wrestling moves, like when Justice goes for an Argentinian backbreaker and Martyr slips into a backpack choke. Justice drops backwards and slugs him hard a couple of times on the mat, and that's what I mean by Justice turning this annoying guy babyface. Martyr never quite looked like he had a real chance, Justice would hit him 3x harder during exchanges (especially cracking him with a couple hard cupped hand slaps), and Martyr had the absolute worst downward elbows I think I've ever seen in wrestling. But I liked Martyr's two German suplexes, I don't think they come off too implausible due to catching Justice off balance both times he hit them, and I liked how it wasn't just him getting overwhelmed the entire time. Still, he looked like he got murdered at the finish here, Justice drops two knees down on his neck and head, real finisher worthy knees. I am here for Justice facing more old MMA dudes though. I want see all of that. Gerard Gordeau is only a decade older than Liddell, would probably come cheaper. 

Flash Thompson vs. Jeffrey John

PAS: I thought there were moments in this which teased a promising direction, but overall this wasn't good. I like the way Thompson holds his hands and moves his feet but he didn't seem super into this fight. John catches a kick and hits a nice slap, but the rest of his offense didn't look good, and the kneebar finish seemed slightly blown. Doesn't feel like John is a good match for this style and I wanted Flash to look more explosive coming off of the main event last week. 

ER: Yeah this didn't work for me. I was ready to like it, as I liked John's shit talking over the tale of the tape, made me think he would be backing things up with a bit more. His knees didn't look great (although they got better later in the match), and Flash really did look bored here. That's a shame, as there was real value in either Flash demonstrably kicking John's ass for mouthing off, or being so bored that John pulled off a couple near upsets. But they didn't do either of those, they just kind of futzed around until Flash got a kneebar. This felt like a missed opportunity to advance both guys. 

Aaron Williams vs. Ron Mathis

PAS: This had a lot packed into three or so minutes. I liked the idea of Mathis as a brawler who would use his strength to counter technique. He got off a couple of big slams early but Williams always seemed to be biding his time. I wanted Mathis to have better looking ground and pound, elbows just weren't landing with force. I did like the finish with Williams locking in the triangle choke, Mathis powering up for slam, but slamming into a tighter lock. Williams calls out Matt Justice and I could be into that match in this style. 

ER: Early UFC was littered with hillbillies who were in over their head, so they always just rushed their opponents hoping to surprise them. This had that kind of feel, with Mathis powering through technique and hitting a great powerslam and a cool fallaway slam, both moves that look great but aren't going to be as effective under submission/KO rules. I dig that Mathis is a guy with some cool slams who isn't as equipped to finish a match under UWFI rules, and I liked Williams waiting for his chance to use his advantage (while also getting in cool things of his own like a butterfly suplex). I will always like someone trying to deadlift their way out of a triangle, always looks like the lifter is shredding his back for a desperation escape, and that's a cool real element to have in a match like this. 

Don't Die Miles vs. Bobby Beverly

PAS: Weird choice for a main event. This was set up last week, and I guess Miles is working sort of a Colin Delaney in WWECW gimmick. This is just a squash with Beverly winning on points by throwing 8 or so nasty Saito suplexes until they stopped the match. I really liked the knee he hit when Miles jumped at him, but this wasn't really worked in the style, with Miles only offense being a Trouble in Paradise kick, not something he stole from Yamazaki or Takada. Beverly has a nice Saito suplex, but all the matches on this show were pretty one sided, and I would have liked to see a real main event. 

ER: I was into this, and I especially liked that they didn't get too ahead of themselves and give Morales too much actual offense against Beverly. Too many of these angles start off with the extreme underdog almost upsetting the big dog and I'm glad this was just a Beverly mauling. Morales got a couple of light enziguiris and a Trouble in Paradise that sort of hit, and Beverly sold them about as much as he should have sold them. The rest was Beverly manhandling Morales, and that really started at the bell. Morales rushed in and Beverly timed a knee perfectly, took him over with a nice front chancery suplex, and then eventually got to our cool closing stretch of Beverly suplexing Morales over and over to the point where it looked like we'd have our first match end due to points. I thought Beverly's Saito suplexes looked devastating, and loved how Morales fought through them and at a certain point knew he couldn't fight back, but still had points on the board. The knee trembler finish put a stop to that in cruel fashion. 

PAS: This week didn't work for me the way last week did. They are building to some interesting things, but this show was all build. I am hoping for some payoff next week. 

ER: I liked this episode more than Phil, although I agree that we could have used at least one match that wasn't so one-sided. Still, these one-sided matches made me more interested in seeing Justice against tougher opponents, made me want to see a Williams/Justice match, made me want to see more of Mathis, and made me want to see Bobby Beverly/Hoodfoot more than anything. It was a show that, while looking back won't stand out as one of their best, made me more interested in seeing a lot of what's to come, and that's a smart way to use 45 minutes of your wrestling television. 

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